The tale of Ceruke shadow-claw
by dracologistmaster
Summary: This is the tale of a man from a distant land, who traveled to Berk to ensure that the peace between dragons and Vikings wasn't just a trick. though what he finds is not at all what he expects.


_A/N: Sorry for the false alarm, I forgot to add this to the original posting. I want to thank FablehavenFunLovin for all her help with this story. without her it would not be here. I also highly recommend checking out her story Servant of memories. Other than that please leave a review and let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy._

_The flash of twin blades: the roars of a monster the likes of which haunted nightmares. Its blood red eyes boring into its foes as it fought what was quickly becoming a losing battle, though its confidence knew no bounds even in the face of defeat. "I will enjoy feasting on your soul, foolish, mortal!" The creature shouted as its massive tail swiped through the air where once had stood his opponent._

_"I think not, I have too much to return to, to die by your hands, Alduin!" The creatures opponent hissed driving his blades into the creatures bloody, scale armored hide, earning the death roar of a winged beast whose goal was to end the world of man, a beast known by all as Alduin the world eater. In his last few moments Alduin spoke once more. "Prepare yourself well mortal, for I will return and when I do the ones you hold dear will suffer a fate worse than death." The dragon swore before vanishing into dust._

Bolting upright with an ebony dagger in hand the owner hissed through clenched teeth. "Why is it always the same damn dream?" He asked himself quietly, as to not wake the woman who was sound asleep next to him. Shaking his head, he climbed carefully out of bed and dressed for the day. "The Dragonborn: victim of his own twisted dreams." He stated angry at himself.

_'I must find somewhere away from here, for my family's sake. But where could I take them?'_ He pondered as he looked in on a little girl sleeping soundly with a smile on her face. Memories of the constant nightmares of his encounters with the dragons servants and the praise of the Nords of Skyrim, though he himself is an Argonian by the name of Ceruke Shadow-claw who had just awoken from the nightmare of his battle with the dragon in the Nords afterlife, otherwise known as Sovngarde.

Leaving his home and walking to the market place in Whiterun. Ceruke browsed the stands selling local vegetables and various other edible items; he bought several apples as well as some vegetables, meat and salt. As he walked home with his purchases to begin on breakfast a passing citizen bowed to him and, though it had been two years since he had defeated Alduin, praised him for his deed.

Accepting the man's praise with a silent sigh and a slight nod, Ceruke continued on his way home feeling tired of the almost constant praise he would get no matter where he went. Not, that he didn't like the praise, but he didn't stop the world eater for the praise. He did it to protect the ones he called his family, Lydia his wife and an adopted daughter named Lucia. Though recently, whisperings of an island village to the north that had befriended dragons had been spreading through Skyrim, which had him worried and somewhat hoping the rumors were true.

As he opened the door to his home Ceruke found Lydia sitting in front of the fire place that took up a large portion of the entry way. "Good morning dear, I take it that is supposed to be breakfast?" Lydia asked with a knowing smile.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, but it seems I will never have the chance to surprise you with breakfast in bed." Ceruke replied placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Maybe one day you'll succeed in being silent enough to surprise me." Lydia said with a smile as she took the ingredients and started cooking the morning meal, which consisted of a pastry with apple filling and a bowl of beef stew. "I'll go wake Lucia, I have something to discuss with both of you after breakfast." Ceruke stated as Lydia plated the food.

Walking up the stairs and into what once was Lydia's room Ceruke gently shook the girls shoulder. "Lucia it is time to get up." Ceruke stated as the girls eyes blinked rapidly before adjusting to the morning light. "Morning: papa." She replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Good morning Lucia. Did you sleep well?" Ceruke questioned returning the hug. "Yes, but I had a very strange dream." Lucia answered with a confused look on her face. "You'll have to tell me about that later. Lydia has breakfast ready." Ceruke informed her as he walked out the bed room door and back downstairs.

After finishing breakfast Ceruke turned to Lucia. "Now, you said you had a strange dream Lucia. Would you tell me about it?" He asked looking his adopted daughter in the eyes.

Turning in her chair the girl nodded. "It started on a strange island. I was walking through the town and the next thing I know a strange creature lands in front of me. It was large with brown-red scales and two long twisted black horns on its head. It had the same wing hands as Odahving except it was smaller." Lucia paused to gather the memories from the rest of the dream. "I was scared at first, but then a boy walked up beside me. He told me that the dragon wanted to be my friend and that if I wanted to be friends with it I had to earn its trust." Lucia stated with a confused look on her face.

Ceruke took her momentary pause to ask a question. "Did he tell you how to earn its trust?" Ceruke asked thinking that this may be more than a simple dream his daughter had.

"He told me that I had to hold my hand out in front of me and not have a single weapon." She answered with an even more confused look on her face. "Papa, if you could have earned a dragons trust that way you would have at least tried it, right?" Lucia asked with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Had I known about it or thought it would work, yes, I would have tried it at least once." Ceruke answered before gesturing for Lucia to continue.

Clearing her throat Lucia continued explaining her dream. "I did as he told me, except I closed my eyes and looked away. The next thing I know, the dragon pressed its nose into my hand and I think it hummed. My dream ended there because you woke me up for breakfast." Lucia said finishing her story.

Lydia was the first to speak. "That sounds like a very strange dream indeed. Now, your father has something he wishes to discuss with us." Lydia stated taking her seat across the table from Lucia. "What is it that you needed both of us to discuss it?" She asked once she was seated.

"I have been hearing rumors around the city about an island that has tamed or befriended dragons. Normally I wouldn't even give an ounce of credit to these rumors and the only reason I am now is because the dragons might have enslaved them. If that is the case, I cannot let it be. I am going to travel to Solitude to charter a boat to take me to the island to ensure it is not some trick. I don't know how long I will be gone, but I will be back. This I swear to both of you." Ceruke stated as he took Lydia and Lucia's hands in his own.

Lucia sighed sadly. "Are you leaving right away or do we have time to spend together?" She asked looking down at the table. Ceruke grinned widely. "It will take me some time to get everything together, so I will be leaving in two days time." He answered before standing from the table.

"What did you have in mind for us to do Lucia?" Lydia asked as she walked around the table to sit next to her daughter. Lucia thought a moment before an idea struck her. "I want you to teach me how to use a sword and shield then papa can teach me to use two swords. I want to know as much as I can before papa leaves." Lucia replied with a smile.

Lydia let a thoughtful expression take over her face as she thought a moment. _'I know I have some wooden swords that we can use, but Lucia needs some form of armor. Where can I find armor for a child?'_ She wondered as she paced back and forth. As far as she knew no blacksmith or leather worker made armor for children.

Noticing her pacing Ceruke chuckled. "If you're worried about armor I had some made for her." He stated walking upstairs.

Opening the chest in his room Ceruke pulled out a small set of black leather armor including a hood. The leather was sturdy and on the chest it looked to have a belt with three pouches attached to it. One shoulder had a simple guard while the other had thick sheets of overlapped leather plates. The bracers were made of cloth and thick leather bound by three belts. The boots were sturdy, coming up to mid calf of the wearer and were held on by three straps on each boot. _'I hope Lydia doesn't recognize it. I told her I left the guild in my past.'_ Ceruke shook the rest of that thought off as he glanced to a hidden bundle wedged behind the dresser, its contents only known to him. Walking back downstairs Ceruke held the stack of armor out to Lydia who gestured for Lucia to follow her.

Nearly twenty minutes later the two women rejoined him in the main area of the house. Lydia shooting him a look that spoke of anger and clearly said 'we'll talk about this later' before she swept back the hood of the armor. "I'd say Brynjolf did a fine job on this armor. It doesn't look nearly as shoddy as the set he gave to you." Lydia stated emphasizing the man's name to make it clear that she both knew and was not happy about it. Ceruke grinned sheepishly at his wife, but kept his mouth shut until he knew they were alone and could talk privately.

Lucia rolled her shoulders testing the flexibility of her new armor and how well she could move in it. The armor was snug against her tiny frame but she somehow knew it would suit her perfectly. "Thank you papa, I love it." The little girl said with a wide smile. "You're welcome little one, now I believe you and Lydia have a training session to begin." Ceruke responded gesturing to the door.

Walking to the back of the house Lydia began the lesson. "First off there are a few weapons that you can use in combination with a shield. A dagger, mace, sword, and an axe. Great swords and battle axes require two hands to wield." Lydia stated taking on a soldier's tone of voice instead of a motherly one and giving Lucia a few more options to choose from in the future. "However, you wanted to learn sword and shield so here you are." She said holding a wooden sword and shield out to Lucia.

Taking the wooden blade and shield Lucia was immediately surprised by the weight of the shield which, though it was lightened by a spell placed on it by Ceruke, was still considerably heavy for the little girl. "The shield will take some getting used to, but in time you will be able to use the unenchanted shield without a problem. Until then you will use that shield and care for both the sword and shield until I think you are ready for the real thing, understood?" Lydia stated in a no questions asked tone of voice.

"Yes mama." Lucia replied with a determined expression as she lifted the shield a few times adjusting it to fit her grip and adjust to the weight it still held. Once she acclimated to the weight of the shield she picked up the sword and settled into a defensive stance.

Lydia grinned slightly at the almost automatic stance her adopted daughter had taken. "Not a bad way to start off, but if you always start on the defensive you might put yourself in a hard spot." Lydia explained. "The sword is not only for attack, you can use it for defense as well if you have to. Always keep that in mind." Lydia said as she tucked Lucia's elbow behind the shield and corrected her sword arms position. "Always keep your arm tucked behind the shield; otherwise you open yourself up to disarmament. Keep your sword close to your side and pointed at the enemy, ready for anything whether an attack or defense if needed." Lydia instructed as she picked up a large wooden shield.

Turning back to her daughter Lydia let the grin slip from her face as it took on a completely serious tone. "Now, I want you to attack me. For now I want you to only hit the shield. Later on, when I think you are ready, we will face one another with wooden blades." She instructed as she held the shield up.

Ceruke took the training time to pack the items he would be taking. Pulling the hidden bundle from behind his dresser he weighed his options. Yes the armor was something he thought he would never wear again, but the enchantments on it could be the most helpful out of the three obvious sets he had. "If only the price weren't so high." He stated tucking it back behind the dresser before lifting a fur helmet with what looked to be ice covering it off of a manikin and staring at it. _'I pray to the nine that I won't need this._' Ceruke prayed as he placed piece after piece into a spare trunk including twin scimitars, both in their sheathes. After placing the armor and weapons in the bottom of the box, Ceruke hid the armor and weapons under a small assortment of warm clothes as well as what money and other small things he thought he might need that would still fit in the trunk.

Once the belongings he had chosen to take with him were packed, Ceruke made his way to Dragonsreach castle. Once there he waited until Irileth told him he could approach. Once he was close enough. Ceruke bowed to the Jarl. "Jarl Balgruf, I come here today to inform you that I am going on a journey that may see me away for an unknown amount of time. Therefore I am leaving Lydia, the housecarl you assigned me, in charge of Breezehome. I will be leaving in two days time." Ceruke informed him looking back up at the blonde haired man sitting almost lazily on the throne.

"I see, and what has your attention so, that you might be gone for so long a time?" The jarl questioned sitting a bit straighter in his throne.

Ceruke took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Lately there have been rumors of an island where dragons and humans are living in peace with one another. I want to make sure that peace is not a false thing to lure the humans of the island into unknowing servitude." The Argonian replied.

Balgruf thought for a moment before he spoke. "What if this is all just an elaborate story and you end up wasting the money and time to travel there?" The Jarl asked with a serious expression.

Ceruke nodded understandingly. "I have thought of that. If it is just a story, I at least won't have any regrets had I not checked it out and something have actually gone wrong." He answered honestly looking the jarl straight in the eyes.

"I understand. Being the Dragonborn is a very demanding fate it seems." Balgruf stated lightly, as if he were just then thinking of all that the title might entail. "Is there anything else you needed, or was that all my Thane?" Balgruf questioned curiously. "That was all my Jarl, thank you for your time." Ceruke responded with another bow to the king of Whiterun.

As the day dragged on Ceruke took his time ensuring that everything he would need was packed as well as everything concerning his home was put in order. When finally the day drew to a close and Lucia and Lydia entered the house, both somewhat sweaty from the days training, Ceruke grinned. "How was training Lucia?" He asked bending at the knees to look her in the eyes.

Lucia smiled widely. "Great papa, mama says that I might be as good as her with a sword in a few months. The shield: not so good. But mama says that if I work with it as hard as I did today I'll be lifting it like it was a feather in no time." Lucia replied as she set her practice equipment down by the book shelf. "I'm glad to hear that, by the way, dinner is ready." Ceruke informed them with a wide gesture toward the table.

Later that night after putting Lucia to bed, Lydia and Ceruke sat around the fire in the main area of the house. "Why did you tell me that you left the guild in your past if you had contacted them for Lucia's armor?" Lydia asked much calmer than Ceruke thought she would when the conversation started.

"I told you I left them in my past because it is the truth. However, when I left Brynjolf owed me a few favors so in exchange for clearing his debt I asked him for a set of armor to protect Lucia." Ceruke started. "I did not join the guild again nor have I done any jobs or been contacted by them in any way." He answered just as calm, though he sounded as tired as Lydia felt.

"What about the armors?" Lydia questioned with a knowing look. "I kept the armor because it reminds me of why I left the guild. I left because of you and Lucia, you made me want to be a better person and Lucia needed a father not a thief under Nocturnal's fickle protection." Ceruke answered honestly taking Lydia's hand in his own.

Letting out a heavy sigh Lydia looked him in the eyes. "Thank you." She said with a loving smile as she took his hand. "Are you prepared for your trip?" Lydia asked trying to change the subject. "I am, however I still have a few things to set in order tomorrow." Ceruke responded with a yawn. Lydia nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm sure that it can wait until tomorrow." Lydia said with a seductive sway of her hips as she stood up and stepped in front of Ceruke. "I'm sure it can." He whispered as Lydia leaned in close for a kiss that quickly turned into more as the two made their way upstairs.


End file.
